Supporting frame for bedsprings



Nov. 17, 1925 R. B. HARRISON ET AL SUPPORTING FRAME FOR BEDSPRINGS FiledAug. 1923 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT B. HARRISON, OF INGRAM, AND JOSEPH SILVESTER, OFPITTSBURGH,PEN1\T SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO A. J. LOGAN COMPANY, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF EENNSYLVAHIA.

SUPZEOR'I'ING FRAME FOR BEDSPRINGS.

Application filed August 8, 1923. Serial No, 656,413.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ROBERT B. HARRI- son andJosnrI-I SILVESTER, citizens of the United States, and residents ofIngram and Pittsburgh, respectively, in the county of Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSupporting Frames for Bedsprings, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to supporting frames, and particularly to a bedspring supporting frame which may be used either p in connection withwooden bedsteads or hung from the side rails of metal beds.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of this characterwhich is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, easilyadjusted to accommodate the same to either wooden or metal beds, andwhich is highly efficient in operation.

It is a special object to provide a bed spring supporting frame equippedwith supporting devices which are of sturdy construction, which can bereadily swung into or out of operative relation and which are connectedto and pivotally mounted upon the frame in such manner as to positivelypreclude pivotal movement between the parts except in a planetransverseto the frame.

It is a special object to provide a frame having supporting devicescomprising stirrups and hangers rigidly connected together so as topreclude pivotal movement therebetween and forming a unit which may bereadily applied to the frame during the initial construction thereof orfor purposes of replacement.

It is still a further special object to pivotally susp'endthe said unitscomprising'the stirrups and hangers from. theframe without the use ofbolts or "rivets in 'such'mann'er as to enable the saidunits to bereadily attached to or, detached from the slats of the frame.

These and other objects of the invention will more fully appear whentaken in conjunction with' the following description and the appendedclaim.

in the accompanying drawings, Fig. '1 "is plan view of two-section bedspring equipped with the preferred embodiment of theinvention; Fig. 2 aside elevation of the sprmg shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the same inclosed position, that is, with the sections in superposed relation, Fig.3 a plan view of the bottom frame detached from the remaining parts ofthe spring for the purpose of clearness; Fig. '4: an enlargedperspective View illustrating the details of construction of one type ofsupporting device; Fig. 5 a similar view of another form of supportingdevice; Fig. 6 a like view of a still further modified form ofsupporting device; and Fig. 7 an enlarged detail view, partly in sectionand partly in elevation, showing the method of suspending the frame uponthe side rails of a metal bed.

Preferably the spring with which the invention is employed isconstructed in two sections, a and 6, each section comprising a metallicrectangular frame 1 connected by the hinges 2. The sections a and b whenin open position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, are adaptedto-fit uponeither a'metal or a wooden bedstead, and when closed, as illustrated inFig. 2, forming a compact structure ca pable of being easily handled.The two sections are identical in construction and are hinged asdescribed merely for convenience in handling, it being understood thatif desired the frame may be made in but a single section correspondingto the size of the bed with which it is to be used.

In connection with the rectangular frame which forms the top of the bedspring a rectangular frame 3 forming the bottom of the spring is used.The frame 3 is somewhat smaller than the frame 1 and comprises the siderails 4, 4, and the end rails 5, 5, conveniently secured in anydesirable manner. Extending between the side rails 4,4, and suitablyconnected thereto as by riveting at 6 are a plurality of spacedtransverse slats 7. The topframe .1. and the bottom frame 3-areconnected together by a plurality of conical shaped springs 8, the

ends of thesprings being secured at one end tio-the slats and rails ofthe bottom frame while their opposite .endsare supported by interweavingwith the wires 9 carried by the frame .1, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The

manner of connecting the springs and interweaving the springs and wiresform no part of the present invention and are illustrated and describedmerely for the purpose of more fully setting forth the invention formingthe subject matter of the present application.

Between each end rail 5 and the contiguous slats 7 and also located atsuitable intervals between contiguous slats 7, and at each side of thebottom frame 3, are supporting devices comprising the stirrup or strap10 and the hanger 11. The stirrup 10 is U-shaped, being provided withthe laterally projecting apertured ears 12, 12 at its opposite ends,while its intermediate portion substantially midway between its cars isoffset so as to form a depressed re cess preferably corresponding inwidth and depth to that of the inner end of the body of the hanger 11.The depression formed by this offset portion receives the inner end ofthe hanger 11, the two being firmly united by riveting or welding asindicated at 13. The stirrup and hanger are thus rig idlyconnectedtogether, and due to the neat fit of the inner end of thehanger within the offset depressed portion of the stirrup all pivotalmovement therebetween is positively prevented. The outer extremity ofthe hanger is equipped with the hooked portion 1% which is adapted toengage the side rail 15 when the frame is used in connection with metalbeds, as clearly shown in Fig. 7

Preferably, the stirrup and hanger are operatively associated. with arod forming a unit therewith, and functioning as a pivotal supportsuspending the said parts from the slats 7 This rod is indicated in theembodiment shown in Fig. t by the reference numeral 16. The main body ofthe rod is circular in cross section and projects throughcorrespondingly shaped apertures in the terminal ears 12, 12. Theextremities 17, 17 of the red at a point beyond the ears, are somewhatenlarged and elongated so as to prevent the rod from being disconnectedfrom the stirrup, and for a purpose to be subsequently described theenlargements are disposed at substantially right angles to each other.The stirrup,the hanger, and the rod are thus locked together andcomprise a unit facilitating the handling of the supporting devices. Theenlarged extremities, besides functioning to lock the rod to the stirrupalso serve to detachably connect the supporting unit to the frame. Forthis purpose contiguous slats are provided with aligned elongatedapertures 18, 18 of sufficient size to permit passage of theenlargements 17, 17 when the rod is turned to cause the enlargements toregister with the apertures in the slats. However, after the enlargementhas been passed through its aperture, subsequent turning movement of therod will bring the parts into such relation as to prevent sul sequentwithdrawal thereof until the enlargement has been again turned so as tobe brought into register. Due to the fact that both of the apertures 18,18 extend in the same general direction. and the enlargements 1?, 17 aredisposed at an angle to each other, it is obvious that but one of theenlargements can be made to register with its aperture at the same time,thus preventing accidental detachment of the supporting unit. The exactangular relation, just described, is merely ilhistrative of one relationwhich the parts may assume, it being noted that any relative angularrelation between the enlargements and the apertures in the slats whichwill prevent the passage of the enlargements at both ends of the rodsimultaneously is within the contemplated scope of the invention.

Another form of detachable supporting unit is shown in Fig 5. The pivotrod which is designated at 19 is circular in cross section throughoutsubstantially its entire extent and projects through correspondinglyshaped apertures in the ears 12, 12. In this form the rod is connectedto the stirrups by increasing its cross sectional dimension, as byflattening at the points 20,20 immediately adjacent the said ears. Thec):- tremities of the rod beyond the ears are circular and are adaptedto be projected through correspondingly shaped apertures provided in theslats as clearly shown in the drawings. In this embodiment thesupporting unit is assembled by simply passing the extremities of therod 19 through the apertures in the slats, prior to the riveting of theslats in position, or by forcibly springing the slats apart sutiicientto permit the extremities of the pivot rod to be passed through theapertures after which the slats are released so as to resume theirnormal po sition as shown in the drawings.

It is obvious from the above description that both of the formsillustrated in detail in Figs. 4: and 5 may be readily engaged with theslats of the frame either during initial construction or may be attachedor detached, if desirable, as in cases requiring replacement of brokensupporting units, by forcibly springing the slats 7 apart sufficientlyto engage the extremities of the pivot rods with the apertures in theslats.

The form shown in Fig. 6 while embodying the novel feature of rigidlyconnecting the stirrup and hanger does not include the unitary anddetachable features of the previously described forms. In the embodimentof Fig. 6 the pivot rod 21 is merely passed through the apertures in theears 12, 12 as well as in the slats and the extremities of the rodbeyond the slats flattened so as to increase its cross sectional areafor the purpose of locking the parts in operative position as clearlyshown in the drawings.

The position which the hanger assumes when the frame is used inconnection with metal beds is shown in full lines in Fig. 7, and theframe is suspend-ed by engaging the hookeds ends 14 of the hangers withthe side rails 15, as previously indicated. By adjusting the hangers tothe position shown by the dotted lines in said figure so that theyextend inwardly between the slats 7, the spring may be used with woodenbeds, the slats serving to support the spring by resting upon the usualwooden slats customarily used in connection with a wooden bed. Thehangers may be readily adjust-ed from the one position to the other bysimply swinging the same upon their pivotal connections and thefrictional contact between the sev eral parts is sufficient to maintainthe hangers in adjusted position.

It is thus seen that the invention provides a simple means forsuspending the frame from the side rails of metal beds and permitsadjustments rendering it capable of being used in connection with woodenbeds, one which is sturdy in construction, and economical tovmanufacture, one which can be readily adjusted, one in which swingingmovement of the supporting device is positively confined to a planetransverse to the frame, one in which the st-irrups and hangers arelocked against relative pivotal movement, and one in which thesupporting devices form a separate unit which can be readily attached ordetached from the frame in the manner described without the use ofbolts, rivets, or similar attaching means.

Weclaim:

A bed spring supporting frame comprising a plurality of spacedtransverse slats, contiguous slats being provided with elongatedapertures disposed in alignment with each other, a supporting devicepivotally suspended from and interposed between contiguous slatsincluding a U-shaped stirrup having apertures in its terminal cars, apivot rod extending through apertures in said ears and provided withelongated enlargements at its extremities beyond the said ears wherebyto lock the rod to the stirrup, said enlargements being of suchdimension as to permit passage of the same through the elongatedapertures in the slats when the rod is moved to a predetermined angularrelation with respect to the said apertures, the angular disposition ofthe elongated apertures and the enlargements being such that bothenlargements cannot pass through the coopcrating aperturessimultaneously, the intermediate portion of the stirrup being offset to,form a depression, and the inner end of the hanger being connected tothe stirrup and neatly fitting within the said depression whereby toprevent pivotal movement between the stirrup and hanger.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto sign vur names.

ROBERT B. HARRISON. JOSEPH SILVESTER.

